I was curious whether Dennis was voluntarily reliquished or if he was removed with parental rights terminated. Of course, I respect your privacy on this issue if you don't want to answer. The reason I ask is because I feel a little bit of guilt regarding my adopted son. His birth mother's rights were terminated, and I feel a little bit "out of place" that I am his mother now since he wasn't freely reliquished. I know logically that his circumstances existed before I came into the picture, but I guess because I also have bio-children, I know how hurt I would be if someone took my children away and someone else parented them. Also, in the case of Dennis and knowing what was implied on the Reese's Rainbow site, I feel badly that wrong assumptions may have contributed to his removal from his birth mother. Even if he was relinquished, I feel sad for his birth mother that it might have been because she was not in a position to seek treatment for his condition. I'm just curious if you have any of these feelings or concerns and if so, how you come to terms with them. --Julie
Do you hold to the belief in Quiverful? I first heard about it on a program about the Duggar family of Arkansas. What do you think of other large families?
Why did you delete your Jitter Fits post? I thought it was a great example of striving for a Christ-centered marriage and family. My other question is, are you and John planning on adopting any more children? (Sorry if you've already answered that one.)
First off, thank you again for sharing your life with us. I actually dreamed of Dennis the other night. We were at church and he came running into my classroom and said, "Thank you, Amy, for praying for me." And then he gave me a big hug! I usually don't remember my dreams but that one was so sweet I'm glad I did!
So anyhoo, my question is...
Do you have a life verse and if so, why did you pick it?
How do your kids get along? Do they all tend to play with each other in one group, or do you find that they tend to separate off into smaller groups based on age/gender/grade in school/ etc? I only have 1 sibling, so I always wondered whether larger families tended to have different sibling "subgroups."
Also, can I just say that I love the way Rachel is taking care of Dennis...it seems like in every photo of her that she's giving him a hug or carrying him - it's so clear to me that she loves her new baby brother! She's a great sister now and she'll be a great mom someday.
I don't really have a question. I am just catching up from a long absence in blogland. I am so thrilled that Dennis is doing so well. The scare you had post-surgery was awful. I certainly will be praying for his upcoming surgery.
How did you find a spouse so open to having/adopting a lot of kids? Sorry, this was probably answered before, so feel free to skip it! I really want to adopt, but am not sure if whoever I end up with will want to as well.... (I'm 20 but I know I will adopt one day)
Is Dennis expected to have any sort of issues with speech? He is too cute, and such a great helper around the house! (I love that picture of the two of you)
Do your adopted children (well, other than Dennis who is too young to understand) have any desire to return to visit the countries that they were born in one day when they are older? Do you have any desires to bring them to visit?
Okay, here is my question. I know that you cannot possibly have 20 bedrooms in your house (I know, a little overboard) so who shares room with who? One last question, how do you get the kids to chip in on housework? I only have three kids and my two year old helps out way more than my teenagers. Everytime I see pictures, your house always looks in order and I'm jealous!
Hey! Does Dennis (or any of your adopted children) have disciplinary issues that stem from being adopted children. We have some friends who adopted special needs children who had very difficult behavior problems because of being abused in the orphanage. Also, I love seeing pictures of your house, so if you ever have more, I'd love to see them! Thanks. I'm praying for you all.
oh, one more thing. I guess your kids were all older when they were adopted, but how would you tell your child that he or she was adopted if they were adopted from infancy?
Oh Christine, I think we are all glad that you have decided to do this post, however I think you are going to be really busy ;0)!!!
Okay here is my ?
We are a family that chooses to build our family through adoption as well as having our children biologically. We are only a family of 5 children right now but I know in my heart that I have more children out there waiting to join our family. The issues we face right now is the finanaces to fund the adoptions we seek and the constant comment from social workers or agencies is that we already have a lot going on in our family(say that 5 is already a large family). We have pursued quite a few options through the state and are always told that our family size could be an issue.
So my ? to you is how do you find the funding for all your adoptions and how did you overcome the notion that your family is to large to add another child too?
In my heart I know each day that my children are out there wait somewhere and I just keep praying we will overcome some of these challenges we have faced and our children will join our family. Any help you have on this would be fantastic!!!!
Do you have issues with older kids picking on younger? Throwing their weight around?
Also I have questions about birth order and adopting. Do you know anyone who has adopted kids older than their oldest bio? Our oldest will be at least nine or ten (wild guessing here since I have NO idea what the next few years will look like) before we are in a position to start an adoption.
Housework - I second the commenter who asked the question...I know you've touched on it before, but can you go a little deeper? I mean, if I wrote the chores down that needed doing, NO ONE would come rushing over, much less volunteering! Also, in regards to housework, is there anything you and only you do? Like are you obsessive about how sheets are folded for instance, so only you fold the sheets? Or chores that are just off limits to the kids? What percentage of the housework do the kids, you and your hubby each do? This is in no way meant to be offensive, just curious as we constantly are battling over things being picked up and we've only got 3 :)
Christine, I have been following your beautiful family for awhile now. The one thing that continues to amaze me is your faith. I am a young women who does not have a secure faith at this time. You never ending belief in Jesus just amazes me. I wonder how someone can be so sure about something they can not see. How did this come about for you? Please keep up the wonderful blog. It is a treat to read! Kim
I think one of these posts asks a few too personal questions! Ugh! It's obvious you have a big expensive house, but obviously God provided and God provided John's job so you could afford it.
Do you have a chore chart or something similar so the children know what they need to do each day?
Love the little bib and how can we order some from Julia? Do you give your kids an allowance for chores or are they expected to do them as part of being a member of the family?
Hey Christine! Did you expect to get so many questions???? Fortunately - since i Have read your blog for-almost-ever... I only have a couple of no-brainers for you... since you DID ask!!!
#1 - If you could pick ONE place to travel to and you could only take ONE person from your family - who would it be and where would you go??? #2 - If you had just ONE household chore that you never had to do again - which would it be? #3 - If you had won a contest where you were given a million dollars, but the catch was you had to give all but $100 away - who would you give it to?
And lastly - do you ever take a flying family vacation - and if you do - do you get a group discount for the size of family???
Take care and hugs to all
ps- tell John that I am still very glad that he shaved the facial fur off!!!
Hi Christine, Just one question for you... I know you are extremely diligent in teaching your children how to cook, clean, sew, knit, pray (oh, the list goes on) but other than those things that you teach your kids in the home, do they have extra-cirricular activities (dance, piano, sports, etc.) they participate in and if so, how do you (a) manage to get everyone to their responsibilities, and (b) get them to practice?....amongst EVERYTHING else you do? You are truly an inspiration! I love following your blog.
Are you planning to do any birth parent searches for your adopted children? Is their any useful medical information you think you could gain from this?
Okay, I have 11 questions for the mom of 11 kids! 1) Why Russia (& Ukraine)? Why not somewhere else? 2) What are some bargaining tips & tricks you've learned. Do you ever just go and say "I have 11 kids...are you SURE you can't give me a discount?" 3) Did you breastfeed your bio children, and if so, for how long? 4) Did you ever consider not using the kids' real names on your blog or not showing pictures/etc? If so, what made you decide to do it the way you do? 5) What are your biggest pet peeves / What are your biggest behavior pet peeves? 7) Have you ever confronted another parent because of something totally obnoxious/rude their kid did (like make fun of Dennis, etc)? 8) What's your view on college, and how do you respond when someone makes a rude comment regarding it? 9) What's your best comeback to ignorant comments on your family size? 10) What's your favorite response to comments/questions like "I don't know how you do it", "Are you crazy?" and "Boy, do you have your hands full!". I recently heard the quote "If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart!" and it immediately made me think of you 11) How long do you expect it will take you to answer all these questions?
Do you have/take a day of rest in anyway? And if so, what does that really look like? I have a hard time doing it with 3 kids, so I just can't imagine.
Mine have probably been answered before, but here they are anyway: Did you make a decision to adopt & give birth to many children, or did you just add to your family over time, making the decision one by one? And, what let you to adopting special needs kids? Were you raised in an adoptive or fostering family? Did you learn your incredible compassion from your parents?
I have been reading your blog for several weeks now and have really beein inspired. I have always wanted to adopt a child but my husband really isn't crazy about the idea since there's no reason why we cannot have more children of our own.
We have one daughter and I had gestational diabetes while I was pregnant and she was born with a very complex heart defect, likely as a result of the diabetes. I have always wanted to adopt but that makes me want to even more since the diabetes has become more or less permanent and there's a 15% chance that I will have another baby with a heart defect.
Really, I would like to adopt a baby with a heart defect. I know I can handle that. Do you know anything about adopting children with specific birth defects?
I would also like to know how you find time for yourself. I feel like I have a hard time doing that with only one child and am certain that there is something I can earn from you in that regard.
Thatnks for posting about your life. I have really enjoyed reading about your family. I especially love reading about Dennis and I will be thinking about him in the upcoming months as he gets ready to have his next surgery. I know that's hard on a family. My daughter has had several surgeries and it doesn't seem to get any easier.
I´ve got one question...maybe it was already answered..but I´ll ask anyway... When did you first decided to adopt a child? - how did you tell your husband about it? -or was it he who suggested adoption? :)
I really look up to you...you and your family are an inspiration! My hubby and I just started the process of adoption for our 1st child...I may be invading your privacy but...how do you afford adoption over and over? Do you have any ideas for a fundraiser? How many hours per night do you sleep? I ask about financials because we can barely afford one adoption and woubld do it again and again if we could afford to...but upwards of $45000, uggghh...so unfair it costs so much with so many children needing homes. Thank you for what you do! God bless!
Just wanted to say hi and that I enjoy your blog, which I either found through the Cornishes or the Garcias, I forget! You have a great family, the new addition is really a star! Love his name too, Dennis is my dad's first name and my son Alec's middle name. So may I ask how his name was chosen?
I just recently found your blog and just wanted to let you know that you inspire me! My husband and I have been foster parents for 7 years and have received many blessings from this experience. We have 3 bio children and 1 adopted child (through foster care). We are eager to adopted again and it is wonderful to see others who do the same. Way to go...your family is beautiful!
This is for sleepygrrl (I couldn't figure out how to send you a message privately).
You had said you were interested in a child with a heart defect. Go to http://www.reecesrainbow.com/angelgirls.htm the second little girl on the page (barbara) has heart problems.
We have a niece with heart problems and I had inquired about adopting barbara last year, but there was already a family in the process of adopting her. I was sad to see her back on the site. I assume the family trying to adopt he wasn't able to, but now with my husband deploying there is no way we could adopt her and I pray she isn't still waiting for a family when he gets back in December.
I am in the process of becoming an SLP and I am a bit of a speech nerd so my question(s) are speech-related. I respect the privacy of your family so feel free to ignore any questions you feel are too invasive.
I know you mentioned that Rachel was somehow receiving speech services through the school. Have your other adopted girls received speech services? When you brought the girls home did they start school right away and if so what did the school do to help them learn English?
I know at some point you said the girls no longer speak Russian. Do they still remember it and if not do you think it was something they could pick up easily if they ever wanted to.
Finally, does Dennis make any attempt to speak? I am taking a class about cleft palates this coming semester so I don't know much about it yet. Will Dennis receive speech services after his services or does he receive any speech services now.
You have a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing them with us.
When did you first decide to adopt and how did you know that God was once again leading you to adopt after the 1st (2nd, etc.) adoption? I still feel in my heart that I'm meant to adopt again, but so many of the sites that I inquire act like there are many families already waiting (even when posted on websites like RainbowKids).
If you were to adopt again, what agencies and countries would you consider?
I don't have a question, but I wanted you to know that you are very inspirational to me and my husband. We are going to Ukraine in Feb. to adopt. We are going "blind" with the possiblilty of bringing two kids home. I love to read your blog and learn from your experiences. I love how you stay so close to John as well. Bob and I are best frineds and I don't want that to change. Thanks for posting and "keeping it real."
How did you decide you wanted a large family? It took me 12 years to have my son, 7 miscarriages and many years of fertility treatment to have my son and i am happy with him. Unless god had other plans for me i DO NOT ever expect to be preggo again. My family and some friends keep saying you need another. Logan is going to have only child syndrom... blablabla.. My husband and I talked about it and if we ever decide we want another one we will gladly adopt. But the truth is we are happy with our one? I follow your blog and people at work call me a stalker but every morning when i get in I have to check and see what you guys did the night before. You seem to have a great family.
How did your children (bio and adopted) react when a new child was brought into the home? Also I would love to adopt an older child someday soon, but I was wondering if there is anything that I need to do to be prepared for when they come home.
where did you learn to cook? .. How in the world do you keep your house so tidy? ... Any tips on when a mom (*hint hint) loses her patience what to do?
I'm just reading everyone else's questions...I too wonder where you got such a wonderful hubby to agree to adopting , he's so supportive. Wish my spouse was...any tips on that...?? How many bedrooms do you have? And..if this is too personal.. just wondered..If you get an adoption subsidy when you adopt out of country. In Ontario..where I live..there used to be an adoption subsidy for people who adopt children with special needs..but its been cut off for years. Also we have a lot of adoption break downs here.
My question is~ Does Dennis sound any different since his surgery?
and I have been wanting to tell you that we all tried a pomagranate (did I spell it right? lol)and it was delicious. We were only able to buy one since here in Ohio they are $1.50 EACH. We were drooling seeing you all pick them off a tree! lol I am sure they were even better than the one we had.
Thanks. Dennis is such a sweety. Honestly, I follow your blog b/c of him as I started by seeing his picture and your family on Reece's Rainbow. Do you worry about how he will be treated by others once he starts school? I guess that is a stupid question as any mom would be, but your posts about how other kids react to him, I imagine that might add to your worry. It makes me mad just reading it and I want to hug him and comfort him when I read it. I hope his future surgeries help with the "shock" of his appearance. I see him so much now, I honestly don't notice it anymore. Unfortuately, that won't be the case for everyone.
do you have a large sized vehicle or do you drive two vehicles when you go out as a family. I have 4 kids now and still would like to adopt again but no room in the van for more than 1....
Christine, what a great way to interact with your readers. I have been needing to catch up with your blog but still have not had a chance to. I did read your one about "delayed obedience is not obedience." I will have to tell my mom about that one :)
I enjoyed getting to see some of your family during our visit there.
I'll look forward to reading which questions you answer.
I am curious to know how you handle school issues,ie. homework, paperwork, teacher calls? I am currently tyring to "manage" 5 different schools and would love to know any of your organizational tips.
It's interesting to see the questions about how to turn a hubby on to adoption. Partly because with our family HE was the one who was interested long before me.
I know these are questions for Christine, I just thought I'd share my story real briefly since that topic caught my eye:)
Also, it was God who changed my mind. No one and nothing else could have done it. My honey didn't try. He would very briefly ask if I was interested, about once every two years, hee hee.
One day God asked me if He could do something with my heart. I didn't ask what I just said yes:) Over the next few months He changed my heart completely to desire adoption as strongly as I wanted to get pregnant before we had our first baby.
Isn't that neat?? :) It is to me, that's for sure.
I love your blog Christine and I can't wait to read all the answers :-)
I love reading your blog, and my 4 year old daughter regularly asks me to show her the pictures of your children, and tell her their names and ages. My question relates to the post after this one, about the dentist visit. Do you ever let any of your older children stay home alone? Since my daughter is only 4, I have a while before making that decision, but I wondered what your thoughts were on that. Thanks!
Oh, my , I hate to add to this long list...but wondered if Dennis was cleared to forgo wearing his glasses, since I haven't seen them on him lately. I am so glad his last surgery went well, and hope the big upcoming one goes smoothly and successfully, too. He's such a sweetie - it's fun to see him growing and trying out so many new things!
ok, one more question - what ever happened to that blog you mentioned a few months ago about life before you found Christ? Are you issuing invites for that or did you decide not to do it? Thanks!
68 comments:
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of being a mom of many :) AND, where do you most often get new recipes :)
What do you do just for *you*? With so many children, I'm sure it's hard to come by, but what is your favorite thing to do?
What does John do for work? You have said you visit on buisness trips! Just curious.
I was curious whether Dennis was voluntarily reliquished or if he was removed with parental rights terminated. Of course, I respect your privacy on this issue if you don't want to answer. The reason I ask is because I feel a little bit of guilt regarding my adopted son. His birth mother's rights were terminated, and I feel a little bit "out of place" that I am his mother now since he wasn't freely reliquished. I know logically that his circumstances existed before I came into the picture, but I guess because I also have bio-children, I know how hurt I would be if someone took my children away and someone else parented them. Also, in the case of Dennis and knowing what was implied on the Reese's Rainbow site, I feel badly that wrong assumptions may have contributed to his removal from his birth mother. Even if he was relinquished, I feel sad for his birth mother that it might have been because she was not in a position to seek treatment for his condition. I'm just curious if you have any of these feelings or concerns and if so, how you come to terms with them. --Julie
Do you hold to the belief in Quiverful? I first heard about it on a program about the Duggar family of Arkansas. What do you think of other large families?
Why did you delete your Jitter Fits post? I thought it was a great example of striving for a Christ-centered marriage and family. My other question is, are you and John planning on adopting any more children? (Sorry if you've already answered that one.)
Oh what a great topic.. I have some questions but feel free no not anawer..
1. Do any of your children that were adopted ever talk about or meet their bio parents?
2. Are any of your kids dating anyone?
3. How much was your house?
4. Why don't you Christen your children a few months after birth?
5. Will you have more kids in the future?
6. Does Dennis' eye at all close, like when he is sleeping? Does he wear a nite patch??
7. How much was Dennis' adoption being he was special needs?
8. Are you guys, Catholic, Baptist etc..???
9. If the kids are aloud candy then why can't they have soda till 13? lol
10. Do you have any pictures of when your children were babies that were adopted?
If I went overboard I am sorry, I just love reading your blog... lol
Your a wonderful family and you are supermom.. lol
Just discovered your blog tonight through Leslie's and look forward to spending more time perusing. Can I post a link to your blog on mine?
Do you ever just want to have a few hours just by yourself? I don't know how you do it.
First off, thank you again for sharing your life with us. I actually dreamed of Dennis the other night. We were at church and he came running into my classroom and said, "Thank you, Amy, for praying for me." And then he gave me a big hug! I usually don't remember my dreams but that one was so sweet I'm glad I did!
So anyhoo, my question is...
Do you have a life verse and if so, why did you pick it?
How do your kids get along? Do they all tend to play with each other in one group, or do you find that they tend to separate off into smaller groups based on age/gender/grade in school/ etc? I only have 1 sibling, so I always wondered whether larger families tended to have different sibling "subgroups."
Also, can I just say that I love the way Rachel is taking care of Dennis...it seems like in every photo of her that she's giving him a hug or carrying him - it's so clear to me that she loves her new baby brother! She's a great sister now and she'll be a great mom someday.
Great job on raising such wonderful children!
Were any of your adopted childrens' names changed when they were adopted?
What is your favorite dessert to eat?
I don't really have a question. I am just catching up from a long absence in blogland. I am so thrilled that Dennis is doing so well. The scare you had post-surgery was awful. I certainly will be praying for his upcoming surgery.
How did you find a spouse so open to having/adopting a lot of kids? Sorry, this was probably answered before, so feel free to skip it! I really want to adopt, but am not sure if whoever I end up with will want to as well.... (I'm 20 but I know I will adopt one day)
Is Dennis expected to have any sort of issues with speech? He is too cute, and such a great helper around the house! (I love that picture of the two of you)
-Molly
Do your adopted children (well, other than Dennis who is too young to understand) have any desire to return to visit the countries that they were born in one day when they are older? Do you have any desires to bring them to visit?
Okay, here is my question. I know that you cannot possibly have 20 bedrooms in your house (I know, a little overboard) so who shares room with who? One last question, how do you get the kids to chip in on housework? I only have three kids and my two year old helps out way more than my teenagers. Everytime I see pictures, your house always looks in order and I'm jealous!
Hey! Does Dennis (or any of your adopted children) have disciplinary issues that stem from being adopted children. We have some friends who adopted special needs children who had very difficult behavior problems because of being abused in the orphanage. Also, I love seeing pictures of your house, so if you ever have more, I'd love to see them! Thanks. I'm praying for you all.
oh, one more thing. I guess your kids were all older when they were adopted, but how would you tell your child that he or she was adopted if they were adopted from infancy?
Oh Christine, I think we are all glad that you have decided to do this post, however I think you are going to be really busy ;0)!!!
Okay here is my ?
We are a family that chooses to build our family through adoption as well as having our children biologically. We are only a family of 5 children right now but I know in my heart that I have more children out there waiting to join our family. The issues we face right now is the finanaces to fund the adoptions we seek and the constant comment from social workers or agencies is that we already have a lot going on in our family(say that 5 is already a large family). We have pursued quite a few options through the state and are always told that our family size could be an issue.
So my ? to you is how do you find the funding for all your adoptions and how did you overcome the notion that your family is to large to add another child too?
In my heart I know each day that my children are out there wait somewhere and I just keep praying we will overcome some of these challenges we have faced and our children will join our family. Any help you have on this would be fantastic!!!!
Do you have issues with older kids picking on younger? Throwing their weight around?
Also I have questions about birth order and adopting. Do you know anyone who has adopted kids older than their oldest bio? Our oldest will be at least nine or ten (wild guessing here since I have NO idea what the next few years will look like) before we are in a position to start an adoption.
Housework - I second the commenter who asked the question...I know you've touched on it before, but can you go a little deeper? I mean, if I wrote the chores down that needed doing, NO ONE would come rushing over, much less volunteering! Also, in regards to housework, is there anything you and only you do? Like are you obsessive about how sheets are folded for instance, so only you fold the sheets? Or chores that are just off limits to the kids? What percentage of the housework do the kids, you and your hubby each do? This is in no way meant to be offensive, just curious as we constantly are battling over things being picked up and we've only got 3 :)
Is Julia selling her homemade bib's how can I buy a few?
Can you share a round about way you make Borchet?
Christine,
I have been following your beautiful family for awhile now. The one thing that continues to amaze me is your faith. I am a young women who does not have a secure faith at this time. You never ending belief in Jesus just amazes me. I wonder how someone can be so sure about something they can not see. How did this come about for you?
Please keep up the wonderful blog. It is a treat to read!
Kim
Well its looks like you got indated with questions maybe ir more like 200??????
Mine is when are you coming Australia to visit?
When and why did you decide to grow your family through adoption?
I think one of these posts asks a few too personal questions! Ugh! It's obvious you have a big expensive house, but obviously God provided and God provided John's job so you could afford it.
Do you have a chore chart or something similar so the children know what they need to do each day?
I have been reading since the very beginning and I've always wondered two things:
1. How do you keep track of who is grounded, what they are grounded from, and for how long?
and...
2. You've said several times that Dennis doesn't have DS,, does he have any other cognitive diagnosis you are aware of yet?
How many of your kids are bio and not bio. A lot of them look alike so it is hard to tell. Also how do you stay consistent discipline?
By the way I think you guys are great!
Love the little bib and how can we order some from Julia? Do you give your kids an allowance for chores or are they expected to do them as part of being a member of the family?
Hey Christine!
Did you expect to get so many questions???? Fortunately - since i Have read your blog for-almost-ever... I only have a couple of no-brainers for you... since you DID ask!!!
#1 - If you could pick ONE place to travel to and you could only take ONE person from your family - who would it be and where would you go???
#2 - If you had just ONE household chore that you never had to do again - which would it be?
#3 - If you had won a contest where you were given a million dollars, but the catch was you had to give all but $100 away - who would you give it to?
And lastly - do you ever take a flying family vacation - and if you do - do you get a group discount for the size of family???
Take care and hugs to all
ps- tell John that I am still very glad that he shaved the facial fur off!!!
Hi Christine,
Just one question for you...
I know you are extremely diligent in teaching your children how to cook, clean, sew, knit, pray (oh, the list goes on) but other than those things that you teach your kids in the home, do they have extra-cirricular activities (dance, piano, sports, etc.) they participate in and if so, how do you (a) manage to get everyone to their responsibilities, and (b) get them to practice?....amongst EVERYTHING else you do? You are truly an inspiration! I love following your blog.
Are you planning to do any birth parent searches for your adopted children? Is their any useful medical information you think you could gain from this?
cheers, Renia
Okay, I have 11 questions for the mom of 11 kids!
1) Why Russia (& Ukraine)? Why not somewhere else?
2) What are some bargaining tips & tricks you've learned. Do you ever just go and say "I have 11 kids...are you SURE you can't give me a discount?"
3) Did you breastfeed your bio children, and if so, for how long?
4) Did you ever consider not using the kids' real names on your blog or not showing pictures/etc? If so, what made you decide to do it the way you do?
5) What are your biggest pet peeves / What are your biggest behavior pet peeves?
7) Have you ever confronted another parent because of something totally obnoxious/rude their kid did (like make fun of Dennis, etc)?
8) What's your view on college, and how do you respond when someone makes a rude comment regarding it?
9) What's your best comeback to ignorant comments on your family size?
10) What's your favorite response to comments/questions like "I don't know how you do it", "Are you crazy?" and "Boy, do you have your hands full!". I recently heard the quote "If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart!" and it immediately made me think of you
11) How long do you expect it will take you to answer all these questions?
8i8 Alex 8i8
Do you have/take a day of rest in anyway? And if so, what does that really look like? I have a hard time doing it with 3 kids, so I just can't imagine.
Mine have probably been answered before, but here they are anyway: Did you make a decision to adopt & give birth to many children, or did you just add to your family over time, making the decision one by one? And, what let you to adopting special needs kids?
Were you raised in an adoptive or fostering family? Did you learn your incredible compassion from your parents?
I have been reading your blog for several weeks now and have really beein inspired. I have always wanted to adopt a child but my husband really isn't crazy about the idea since there's no reason why we cannot have more children of our own.
We have one daughter and I had gestational diabetes while I was pregnant and she was born with a very complex heart defect, likely as a result of the diabetes. I have always wanted to adopt but that makes me want to even more since the diabetes has become more or less permanent and there's a 15% chance that I will have another baby with a heart defect.
Really, I would like to adopt a baby with a heart defect. I know I can handle that. Do you know anything about adopting children with specific birth defects?
I would also like to know how you find time for yourself. I feel like I have a hard time doing that with only one child and am certain that there is something I can earn from you in that regard.
Thatnks for posting about your life. I have really enjoyed reading about your family. I especially love reading about Dennis and I will be thinking about him in the upcoming months as he gets ready to have his next surgery. I know that's hard on a family. My daughter has had several surgeries and it doesn't seem to get any easier.
I´ve got one question...maybe it was already answered..but I´ll ask anyway... When did you first decided to adopt a child? - how did you tell your husband about it? -or was it he who suggested adoption? :)
I really look up to you...you and your family are an inspiration! My hubby and I just started the process of adoption for our 1st child...I may be invading your privacy but...how do you afford adoption over and over? Do you have any ideas for a fundraiser? How many hours per night do you sleep? I ask about financials because we can barely afford one adoption and woubld do it again and again if we could afford to...but upwards of $45000, uggghh...so unfair it costs so much with so many children needing homes. Thank you for what you do! God bless!
No questions. Just stopping by.
Just wanted to say hi and that I enjoy your blog, which I either found through the Cornishes or the Garcias, I forget! You have a great family, the new addition is really a star! Love his name too, Dennis is my dad's first name and my son Alec's middle name. So may I ask how his name was chosen?
God bless -
Heather
I just recently found your blog and just wanted to let you know that you inspire me! My husband and I have been foster parents for 7 years and have received many blessings from this experience. We have 3 bio children and 1 adopted child (through foster care). We are eager to adopted again and it is wonderful to see others who do the same. Way to go...your family is beautiful!
This is for sleepygrrl (I couldn't figure out how to send you a message privately).
You had said you were interested in a child with a heart defect. Go to http://www.reecesrainbow.com/angelgirls.htm the second little girl on the page (barbara) has heart problems.
We have a niece with heart problems and I had inquired about adopting barbara last year, but there was already a family in the process of adopting her. I was sad to see her back on the site. I assume the family trying to adopt he wasn't able to, but now with my husband deploying there is no way we could adopt her and I pray she isn't still waiting for a family when he gets back in December.
I am in the process of becoming an SLP and I am a bit of a speech nerd so my question(s) are speech-related. I respect the privacy of your family so feel free to ignore any questions you feel are too invasive.
I know you mentioned that Rachel was somehow receiving speech services through the school. Have your other adopted girls received speech services? When you brought the girls home did they start school right away and if so what did the school do to help them learn English?
I know at some point you said the girls no longer speak Russian. Do they still remember it and if not do you think it was something they could pick up easily if they ever wanted to.
Finally, does Dennis make any attempt to speak? I am taking a class about cleft palates this coming semester so I don't know much about it yet. Will Dennis receive speech services after his services or does he receive any speech services now.
You have a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing them with us.
When did you first decide to adopt and how did you know that God was once again leading you to adopt after the 1st (2nd, etc.) adoption? I still feel in my heart that I'm meant to adopt again, but so many of the sites that I inquire act like there are many families already waiting (even when posted on websites like RainbowKids).
If you were to adopt again, what agencies and countries would you consider?
I don't have a question, but I wanted you to know that you are very inspirational to me and my husband. We are going to Ukraine in Feb. to adopt. We are going "blind" with the possiblilty of bringing two kids home. I love to read your blog and learn from your experiences. I love how you stay so close to John as well. Bob and I are best frineds and I don't want that to change. Thanks for posting and "keeping it real."
Well, I read somewhere that John and you became Christian together. Please correct me if I'm wrong! Are your families sharing your beliefs?
Also, do any of your children still speak Russian/Ukrainian? Do you encourage them to keep their language?
Ok. Here's mine:
Are there ever days that you are totally exasperated with your kids, housework, etc? And what do you do on those days?
Blessiings,
Ohilda
How did you decide you wanted a large family? It took me 12 years to have my son, 7 miscarriages and many years of fertility treatment to have my son and i am happy with him. Unless god had other plans for me i DO NOT ever expect to be preggo again. My family and some friends keep saying you need another. Logan is going to have only child syndrom... blablabla.. My husband and I talked about it and if we ever decide we want another one we will gladly adopt. But the truth is we are happy with our one? I follow your blog and people at work call me a stalker but every morning when i get in I have to check and see what you guys did the night before. You seem to have a great family.
thats more than 20 questions. hehe. I cant wait for all those answers, some really great questions.
How did your children (bio and adopted) react when a new child was brought into the home? Also I would love to adopt an older child someday soon, but I was wondering if there is anything that I need to do to be prepared for when they come home.
Hi. This post is a great idea. I just have three questions...
1. What religion are you? I understand if you choose not to answer it in case there is any kind of controversy.
2. What are your kids full names? I love hearing middle names of kids? And how did you choose their names when they were born/adopted?
3. Do your kids go to homeschool, public school, or private school?
Thanks again for sharing your life!
What are your rules for dating when it comes to your children?
where did you learn to cook?
..
How in the world do you keep your house so tidy?
...
Any tips on when a mom (*hint hint) loses her patience what to do?
thanks..
I adore your family
I'm just reading everyone else's questions...I too wonder where you got such a wonderful hubby to agree to adopting , he's so supportive.
Wish my spouse was...any tips on that...??
How many bedrooms do you have?
And..if this is too personal..
just wondered..If you get an adoption subsidy when you adopt out of country.
In Ontario..where I live..there used to be an adoption subsidy for people who adopt children with special needs..but its been cut off for years. Also we have a lot of adoption break downs here.
Can I just say...Oh my goodness!! Have fun Christine.
:)De
My question is~ Does Dennis sound any different since his surgery?
and I have been wanting to tell you that we all tried a pomagranate (did I spell it right? lol)and it was delicious. We were only able to buy one since here in Ohio they are $1.50 EACH. We were drooling seeing you all pick them off a tree! lol I am sure they were even better than the one we had.
~Elaine
Thanks. Dennis is such a sweety. Honestly, I follow your blog b/c of him as I started by seeing his picture and your family on Reece's Rainbow. Do you worry about how he will be treated by others once he starts school? I guess that is a stupid question as any mom would be, but your posts about how other kids react to him, I imagine that might add to your worry. It makes me mad just reading it and I want to hug him and comfort him when I read it. I hope his future surgeries help with the "shock" of his appearance. I see him so much now, I honestly don't notice it anymore. Unfortuately, that won't be the case for everyone.
Dianna
do you have a large sized vehicle or do you drive two vehicles when you go out as a family. I have 4 kids now and still would like to adopt again but no room in the van for more than 1....
Christine, what a great way to interact with your readers. I have been needing to catch up with your blog but still have not had a chance to. I did read your one about "delayed obedience is not obedience." I will have to tell my mom about that one :)
I enjoyed getting to see some of your family during our visit there.
I'll look forward to reading which questions you answer.
I have one! You have probably already posted about this, so just point me there if you have:
How in.the.world. do you split up chores at your house, and how do you keep things running so that they all get done consistently?
I am curious to know how you handle school issues,ie. homework, paperwork, teacher calls? I am currently tyring to "manage" 5 different schools and would love to know any of your organizational tips.
Why do you subject yourself to the torture of answering countless questions like these?
Whoa!
And to think I am going to add questions to the list...
1. What is your favorite time of day?
2. Favorite movie?
3. Favorite season?
4. Favorite musician and song?
5. AND...what qualities do you love most about each of your children?
Kellie (in Bixby, OK)
It's interesting to see the questions about how to turn a hubby on to adoption. Partly because with our family HE was the one who was interested long before me.
I know these are questions for Christine, I just thought I'd share my story real briefly since that topic caught my eye:)
Also, it was God who changed my mind. No one and nothing else could have done it. My honey didn't try. He would very briefly ask if I was interested, about once every two years, hee hee.
One day God asked me if He could do something with my heart. I didn't ask what I just said yes:) Over the next few months He changed my heart completely to desire adoption as strongly as I wanted to get pregnant before we had our first baby.
Isn't that neat?? :) It is to me, that's for sure.
I love your blog Christine and I can't wait to read all the answers :-)
I love reading your blog, and my 4 year old daughter regularly asks me to show her the pictures of your children, and tell her their names and ages.
My question relates to the post after this one, about the dentist visit. Do you ever let any of your older children stay home alone? Since my daughter is only 4, I have a while before making that decision, but I wondered what your thoughts were on that.
Thanks!
Jill
Oh, my , I hate to add to this long list...but wondered if Dennis was cleared to forgo wearing his glasses, since I haven't seen them on him lately. I am so glad his last surgery went well, and hope the big upcoming one goes smoothly and successfully, too. He's such a sweetie - it's fun to see him growing and trying out so many new things!
Best wishes,
Susan in Ky
ok, one more question - what ever happened to that blog you mentioned a few months ago about life before you found Christ? Are you issuing invites for that or did you decide not to do it? Thanks!
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